The Division is recognized as a global centre of excellence on issues related to investment and enterprise for sustainable development. Built on several decades of successful experience, its staff provide international expertise in research and policy analysis, inter-governmental consensus-building, and technical assistance to over 150 countries. Its flagship product is the annual World Investment Report and its main global stakeholder event is the biannual World Investment Forum. The Division also maintains the interactive World Investment Network of over 9,000 members to disseminate and promote all its work on investment and enterprise.

The G20 Toronto Summit renewed the G20s commitment to refrain from raising barriers to investment or trade until 2013 and called on UNCTAD to continue monitoring investment policy measures and to report publicly on a quarterly basis on these developments

UNCTAD has unveiled a new website to identify and publicize examples of good policies and measures developing-country governments can take to ease the creation and operation of private businesses, and to increase investment in these firms.